• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.1
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• pp.58-68
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• 2021

Several herbs including Artemisia are known to possess conceptive property. In the present study, mouse spermatozoa were incubated with ethanol extract of Artemisia vulgaris leaves. The effect of extract on acrosome exocytosis was studied by labeling spermatozoa with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) peanut agglutinin and by staining with Coomassie blue. Viability and membrane integrity were studied by Trypan-blue staining and hypo-osmotic swelling test. Artemisia extract at very low concentration caused precocious acrosome reaction and loss of sperm viability. Acrosome reaction increased remarkably from 22.63% to 88.42% with increasing extract concentration from 0 to 2,000 ㎍/mL. However, the viability loss of spermatozoa was increased from 11.71% in control to 63.73% in samples treated, evaluated by Trypan-blue staining method. Membrane damage caused by the extract, evaluated by hypo-osmotic swelling test was even low, ranging from 2.27% to only 24.23%. These results indicate that Artemisia extract might block fertilization by causing precocious acrosome exocytosis in spermatozoa. A direct contraceptive effect was tested by injecting the plant extract into the vagina of female mice and then allowing them to mate with normal males. The treated female mice delivered significantly fewer litters in comparison to the control.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2021

A total of twenty-four multiparous sows (Landrace × Yorkshire) and their litters were used in this 21-day experimental trial. Based on their body weight, sows were randomly allocated into one of three treatments with eight replicates. The dietary betaine supplementation contained three levels: (i) CON (Basal diet + 0% Bet), (ii) Bet 0.05% (CON + 0.05% Betaine), and (iii) Bet 0.15% (CON + 0.15% Betaine). The supplementation of betaine had no effect (p > 0.05) on body weight and feed intake of lactating sow. Moreover, no significant response was observed on backfat thickness, body condition score, and weaning of the estrus interval with the dietary supplementation of betaine. In addition, the litter weaning weight, litter weight gain, average litter daily gain, and survivability rate at birth showed no significant difference with the dietary betaine supplementation of the sow diet. Fecal scores of the lactating sows and suckling piglets were not affected (p > 0.05) with the dietary betaine supplementation compared with the control diet during the experimental periods. The findings of this study showed that betaine supplementation does not boost growth performance, feed intake, body conditions, and fecal score in lactating sows and suckling piglets fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.271-279
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• 2023

The aim of the present study was to investigate the influences of Curcuma aromatica or inositol monophosphate supplementation on body weight of sows at different stages, feed intake, backfat thickness of sows at different stages, body weight of piglets at different stages, and immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration in sow blood and milk. Eighteen crossbred (Landrace × Yorkshire) sows (249.9 ± 3.2 kg) and their litters were used in a 28-day feeding trial to observe the effects of Curcuma aromatica or inositol monophosphate as dietary supplements on performance and IgG concentration of blood and milk in lactating sows and piglets. The dietary treatments comprised a control corn-soybean-based basal diet (CON); control diet + Curcuma aromatica at 0.5% (CA), and control diet + inositol monophosphate at 0.10% (IMP). Sow body weight at different stages, average daily feed intake, and sow backfat thickness at different stages were not affected in all three treatment groups. The body weight of piglets at weaning and average daily gain of piglets born to sows from the IMP group showed significant improvement compared to piglets of sows from the CA treatment group. Treatment had no effect on the IgG levels in blood and milk. In conclusion, supplementation of 0.5% CA or 0.10% IMP in sows has no effect on growth performance and IgG in sows and piglets compared with the control diet.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.127-132
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• 1972

Experimental studies on the water content of muscles and the histological changes of muscles, digestive tract and kidney, influenced by forced oral administration of excessive tap water, were performed by using 10 Korean bulls. Experimental animals were divided into two groups, five heads for test group and five for control group. All of the bulls used in this experiment were weighing between 250 kg and 300 kg and 3 and 4 years of age. In each test animal, a total of 140 litters of tap water was passed in the forestomach by means of catheterization within 12 to 18 hours. And each of them was slaughtered immediately after the animals showing symptoms of respiratory distress. In control group, the animals were allowed to drink tap water normally. From test and control animals after slaughter, each 10 gm of M. biceps femoris, M. satorius, M. adductor, M. gluteous supercialis, M. iliocostalis lumborum, and M. transversus costarum were taken from definite parts in order to measure water content. In the histopathological studies tissues of rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum, duodenum, colon and kidney were taken as wall as the above mentioned muscles. The results obtained were as follows; 1. Increase of water content in the muscles of test group were 4.6% in M. satorius, 4.24% in M. transversus costarum, 4.14% in M. gluteous supercialis, 4.02% in M. adductor, 3.88% in M. biceps femoris, and 2.46% in M. iliocostalis lumborum respectively. The highest increase was found in M. satorius and the lowest in M. iliocostalis lumborum. 2. In test animal, average increasing value of water content in muscles was 3.9% and shown highly significant (p<0.01). 3. On the microscopical findings of carcass, marked watery edema was observed all of the subcutaneous tissues and intermuscular connective tissues. 4. Microscopically, the epimysium, perimysium and endomysium were widened, and the muscle fibers were lacerated. The cells of stratum lucidum in the epithelium of rumen and reticulum were shown marked vacuolization. In the kidney, dilatation of Bowman's spaces and proximal tubles was observed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.381-384
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• 1998

Twenty-three crossbred (Yorkshire $\times$ Duroc $\times$ Hampshire $\times$ Chester White) primiparous sows were used to evaluate the effects of the mineral-salt laxative in lactation diets on sow and litter performance. The sows were fed a sorghum-extruded soybean-based diet with .85% lysine, .90% Ca, .80% P, and 3.2 Mcal ME/kg. Sow body weight (p > .54) and backfat loss (p > .61), average daily feed intake (p > .42), and litter weight gain (p > .74) were not affected by the mineral-salt laxative in the diet. However, survivability of piglets was greater (p < .06) for sows with the mineral-salt laxative in their diet and, thus, number of pigs weaned was increased. As expected, fecal moisture was increased (p < .09) in sows fed the mineral-salt laxative. Apparent digestibilities of DM, N, and GE were not affected by treatment (p > .26). After weaning, stomachs were collected and scored for ulcers and keratinization using a scoring system of 0 = normal to 3 = severe. Severity of ulceration and keratinization was not significantly affected by treatment (row mean scores differ test p > .25), but scores for sows fed the diet containing the mineral-salt laxative were numerically lower than sows fed the control diet. Thus, our data indicate that sows fed the mineral-salt laxative during lactation had improved piglet survivability, greater fecal moisture, and tended to have fewer lesions in the mucosa of the stomach.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.851-856
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• 2011

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of flavor supplementation on pre- and post-weaning performance and behavior of piglets and sows. A total of 30 sows (Landrace${\times}$Yorkshire) and their litters were employed in this study. Sows were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments (10 replications per treatment). Dietary treatments included: i) CON, basal diet; ii) TRT1, CON+0.1% vanilla supplement; iii) TRT2, CON+0.1% cheese supplement. The behavior of sows (nursery, eating and standing) and piglets (eating, sleeping and fighting) in each treatment was monitored throughout experiment. Each piglet was weighted at 5, 10, 15 and 21 d after birth to evaluate the average daily gain. Sows and piglets were bled on the weaning d to evaluate the blood characteristics. Back fat and estrus interval were investigated. In this study, there were no differences (p>0.05) in diarrhea score and blood characteristics among treatments. Likewise, the behavior was not influenced (p>0.05) by the dietary flavor supplementation. However, administration of flavor increased (p<0.05) the pre-weaning feed intake, post-weaning average daily gain (ADG) and gain/feed (G/F) ratio. No significant difference was observed (p>0.05) on the blood characteristics, behavior, backfat loss and estrus interval among treatments. In conclusion, administration of flavor could increase creep feed intake pre-weaning and piglet ADG post-weaning, whereas inclusion of flavor had no influence on blood characteristics and performance in sow and piglets.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.10
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• pp.1524-1528
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• 2003

The present study was conducted to evaluate the influence of dietary fiber on the activities of malic enzyme and citrate lyase involved in fatty acid metabolism in the colon epithelium of pigs. Thirty-six weaned 5 weeks old crossbred (Yorkshire${\times}$Swedish Landrace) piglets originating from twelve litters were randomly assigned to either a low fiber diet containing 10% non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), a control diet containing 14.7% NSP or a high fiber diet containing 20% NSP. The activity of malic enzyme in the colonic epithelium of pigs significantly (p<0.05) increased with age during the suckling-weaning transition. There was a tendency (p<0.10) of decreased malic enzyme activity in the colonic epithelium of pigs fed on the high fiber diet. At week 6, a lowered (p<0.01) activity of malic enzyme in pigs fed on the low fiber diet compared with that in pigs fed on the high fiber and the control diets. Nevertheless, there were no significant differences in the activity of citrate lyase observed either between pigs with different ages or between pigs fed with various diets. The current data suggest that piglets during the suckling-weaning transition have a limited capacity to synthesize fatty acids from carbohydrate derivatives in the coloncytes. In addition, lipogenesis in coloncytes was enhanced with age during the suckling-weaning transition. A tendency (p<0.10) to an increased capacity to utilize acetyl-CoA in coloncytes of pigs has been observed for the high fiber diet. Moreover, the present work indicated that dietary fiber resulted in a lowered rate of lipogenesis and a reduced activity of malic enzyme.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.568-572
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• 2006

The effect of dietary lysine supplementation on the performance of crossbred lactating sows (n = 49, total 92 litters) and suckling piglets during the warm and cool seasons was studied. Sows were randomly allocated to one of two experimental diets, which were fed throughout a 28-day lactation period. Two diets were formulated based on corn-soybean meal with 6% wheat bran, containing 15% crude protein, and with or without 0.25% lysine-HCl supplementation. No interaction was observed between season and dietary lysine supplementation. Dietary lysine supplementation significantly (p<0.05) increased weaning weight (7.11 vs. 6.46 kg) and daily gain (0.20 vs. 0.18 kg) of piglets. During the warm season lactating sows had significantly lower feed intake (3.78 vs. 6.11 kg, p<0.01), higher weight loss (19.81 vs. 9.73 kg, p<0.01) and backfat loss (0.23 vs. 0.06 cm, p<0.01), longer interval from weaning to estrus (9.32 vs. 6.21 days, p<0.05), lower litter weight gain (42.13 vs. 52.90 kg, p<0.01) and lower daily gain (0.17 vs. 0.21 kg, p<0.01) than lactating sows during the cool season. The results indicate that the influences of dietary treatment and season were independent. The 15.0% CP lactation diet with 0.25% lysine-HCl supplementation did not improve the performance of lactating sows and litter piglets, which was impaired by the warm season.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.1309-1313
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• 2015

The effects of Houttuynia cordata powder on the growth performance of ducks were investigated. Ninety ducks were assigned into one of three dietary treatments as a completely randomized design for 6 weeks: feeds supplemented with 1% or 2% H. cordata and a control group. No significant difference was observed in feed conversion among the three groups (p > 0.05), but addition of H. cordata had a significantly positive effect (p < 0.05) on initial and final body weight, weight gain, and feed intake of the ducks. Furthermore, the effects of chemical treatment (comprising 50 g and 100 g aluminum chloride [$AlCl_3$] per kilogram litter) on the ammonia ($NH_3$) flux in duck litters were also investigated. Duck litter was treated with $AlCl_3$ at a depth of 8 cm by top-dressing; this resulted in a significant difference on $NH_3$ flux (p < 0.05) during the experimental period (but not at 2 weeks). $NH_3$ flux at 6 weeks were reduced by 25.4% and 37.5% by treatment with 1% and 2% H. cordata, respectively, compared with the control groups. In conclusion, enriching the diets of the ducks with 2% H. cordata and adding 100 g $AlCl_3$ to their litter has beneficial effects on increasing their growth performance and reducing $NH_3$ flux in their environment.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.41 no.9
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• pp.657-662
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• 2004

The kinetics of oxidation and disappearance of graphite in MgO-C refractories containing TiC were, in the temperature range from 1000 to 1200$^{\circ}C$, investigated to enhance the oxdation resistance of MgO-C refractproes. The air was blown into the furnace at flow rate of 0.2 litters per minute, and then weight decrease was measured with a thermo balance at 30 seconds intervals until the value of weight became unchanged. The value of effective diffusion coefficient (De) for the specimen of MgO-C was 1.39${\times}$10$\^$-4/ ㎡/sec. The diffusion of oxygen through decarburized layer was the rate deforming step in the overall oxidation process under present experimental conditions. The TiC additions enhanced the oxidation resistance of the MgO-C refractories.